Eala Loses to Wang in ASB Classic Semifinals

Alexandra Eala, the 20-year-old Filipino tennis player, fell short in her bid for a WTA Tour final on Saturday, losing to China's Wang Xinyu in the semifinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. The match, which lasted two hours and 48 minutes, ended 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 in favor of the seventh-seeded Wang, who advanced to her second career final.

Eala, seeded fourth in the WTA 250 event, mounted a resilient comeback effort despite physical challenges. She trailed early in the first set but won six straight games to take it 7-5. In the second, she held a match point while serving at 5-4 but could not convert, allowing Wang to force a decider. Eala then took a medical timeout in the third set for lower back spasms after falling behind 0-3. Returning with renewed energy, she won three consecutive games to lead 4-5, only for Wang to hold serve and secure the victory with strong returns. Wang later described the encounter as "a crazy battle from the start to the end," adding, "She's an absolute fighter."

The defeat marked the end of Eala's strong start to the 2026 season, where she defeated experienced opponents Donna Vekic, Magda Linette, and Petra Marcinko in straight sets to...